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New Rules for Texas Truck Drivers
Accidents involving tractor trailers are often very serious and can be deadly.Last year 441 people were killed in fatal Texas tractor trailer accidents.The majority of those killed were other vehicle occupants – not occupants of the tractor trailer.
September first saw a host of new driving laws enacted, many intended to make roads safer for all road users.Many of these new laws will affect Texas truck drivers.However, it remains to be seen if these laws will save lives and prevent serious injury to non-truck motorists caught in a large truck crash.
Change in responsibility.Motor vehicle titling, vehicle registration and trucking oversight will now be the responsibility of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (these things used to be the responsibility of the Texas Department of Transportation).The Texas DMV likely won’t be fully functional in its new role until November 1st.
No more idling.Texas has anti-idling laws on the books, however there was always an exemption for “government mandated rest periods”.This allowed truckers to remain in their vehicles with the motor running while taking a federally mandated rest break.Lawmakers allowed this exemption to expire, so now local governments may crack down to enforce idling restrictions.Truck drivers are no longer allowed to idle during their rest periods.In addition, local governments that enforce idling restrictions will sign a memorandum from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that limits idling to five minutes.
Crackdown on illegal alien trafficking.Truck drivers who use any motor vehicle to commit an offense that involves transporting, concealing or harboring an alien will be disqualified from operating a commercial vehicle for life.The restriction used to be one year, but the new laws changed that.
Crackdown on traffic violations.Truck drivers convicted of any ordinance violation or motor vehicle traffic law violation must notify their employers and the state of Texas within SEVEN days.
Physical address verification. If a truck driver wants their CDL (commercial drivers’ license) delivered to a post office box, they must provide the Department of Public Safety with documentation that verifies the physical address where they live.
